thursday morning meeting.

work is not just work for me.

being a part of hopelab for the past 1 year+9 months has been one of the most redemptive experiences i've had to date. there are some core aspects of the culture that breathe life into me. seriously.

today, i was inspired.
(ha ha, no surprise right? well, wrong. it was particularly striking because lately i haven't been inspired in the ways i used to be, but that's another story).

here's the thing....
i wasn't inspired by anything unusual or what you might think would be typically "inspiring."
i was struck by something i've observed many times before* at hopelab; it was our values in action, specifically our value for continual learning & growth.

how?
these things were happening:

this is a sticky note i took during the meeting.
as i saw the above take place, i jotted it down because i wanted to remember how effective it was -- not just for the workplace, but when applied to the rest of the areas in my life and relationships.

learning & growth doesn't just happen. it takes work - hard work.
today, i learned that unearthing assumptions, testing them, clarifying my thinking and being able to articulate them are crucial to success.** And, it's vital to do these things without shame or blame, in a judgement-free and supportive space.

this is where it's hard work (for me at least).
there's a critic in my voice that likes to tell me that i messed up. that i suck. that i blah blah blah blah blah. so, creating that judgement-free space in my head is quite possibly one of the most difficult things for me to do. to see it played out so naturally during a normal 10am meeting, made it real in a way i hadn't expected; and i'm enlightened to have experienced it. this is my reality!

work is not just work for me.
it's a playground of illuminations. fun. relationships. productivity. creativity. and continual learning & growth. how cool! :)


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*those are the truest sources of inspiration
**my current definition of success: to learn is to succeed